


Third Moons the Charm

by Polyhexian



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: ASL, M/M, Mute Link, going to get the Lynel again folks, link is sad and weird, nonverbal link, third person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-11-24 08:50:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20904929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polyhexian/pseuds/Polyhexian
Summary: What a strange creature he had been. A young man with the aura of an older one, hair tied messily behind him as if it were a nuisance, clothes weathered, stained; and a veritable arsenal at his back. His skin was patchy in colour, as if from bizarre layers of sun or burns match with and equally bizarre patchwork of criss-cross scars that made him look like some kind of poorly thought out fine art piece, but one with a fierce gaze and a gentle smile.





	Third Moons the Charm

Sidon looked up from his desk when the light spilling onto the floor from his window shifted from gentle white moonlight to a murderous red, the air itself alight with the aura of danger. The Blood Moon had risen yet again. As impossible to predict as the changing of the winds, Sidon had not been expecting it this evening, but now that it was here, all thoughts of the book he had been reading on Gerudo traditions were completely forgotten. He quickly slid a nearby piece of paper between the pages as a bookmark and stood from his chair, grabbing his sword from where he had left it leaning against his nightstand. It had been resting there for nearly two months now, since the night of the previous Blood Moon.

Sidon wrenched open the door, still attempting to affix his scabbard to his belt as he ran down the corridor as quickly as he could. It had been four months since he had first met the Hylian Champion. He had been impressed by him immediately, as a warrior. He hadn't known he was the Champion at first, only that he was a Hylian, and that was all he needed to be to help the Zora people. 

What a strange creature he had been. A young man with the aura of an older one, hair tied messily behind him as if it were a nuisance, clothes patchy, stained and a veritable arsenal at his back. His skin was patchy in colour, as if from bizarre layers of sun or burns match with and equally bizarre patchwork of criss-cross scars that made him look like some kind of poorly thought out fine art piece, but one with a fierce gaze and a gentle smile. 

"The Blood Moon, sire!" A guard called as Sidon skidded around a corner toward an archway, "You'll miss him!"

"I won't miss him!" Sidon cried behind him as he continued.

He had saved Vah Rutoh then, and become a Champion to his own people as well as to the Hylians. The rains had finally ended and the great beast had finally lumbered from it's centuries old resting place and away from his kingdom. It was strange now to see the basin empty.

The Hylian had not stopped there, though. He had climbed to the top of Shatterback Peak, and slain the Lynel that stalked it. He had done it silently, without even alerting anyone. At first no one had known who it had been that had slain the Lynel, but shortly thereafter, the Blood Moon came, as it always does.

As Sidon practically dove down the finally staircase as he entered the weaving open walkways along the third floor of the Domain, he could see a blue light emanating from the Sanctuary beneath the palace where the shrine lay. He felt something electric surge in his chest and quickly turned left, the entrance way dipping out of sight as he quickly navigated the winding corridors of the Domain.

The Champion had come again. In the night, as soon as the Moon had passed and returned to an innocent full white, anyone littering the courtyard at that late hour had seen the glow of the Shrine that foretold his arrival, and he had, without indicating his intention, purchased a few goods at the shop near the Inn, nodded a few hellos, and headed up the mountain to slay the beast again.

Sidon had been surprised to hear this. As much as he, and surely everyone, appreciated the gesture, he had not asked the Champion to do them this favour. He had not spoken to him since, either, to his disappointment- he was confused why the Hylian would come and not at least say hello. It had seemed, when they had met before, they had hit it off swimmingly. He was a quiet man, but he didn't seem to mind that Sidon filled much of the silence when they had spoken. Perhaps he had been wrong, or misinterpreted, and his company had not been much enjoyed at all. The thought had deflated him, but Kodah, the innkeeper, had told him the following morning "Linny asked me to say hello to you, my prince! He was sorry he missed you." 

What a strange revelation, that! He had thought of him, sent regards, but not waited? What had compelled him to come in the first place? 

Four weeks later, the next Blood Moon had come. Sidon had penned a letter and made a few copies, intending to send them to a few of the stables scattered across Hyrule with the hope at least one of them might find their way to the strange little Champion, but the Blood Moon had come a bit sooner than usual and no one had even realized the Lynel had been slain, and Sidon had been caught unprepared. 

This one had seen the same story. The Champion arrived within minutes of the Blood Moon, and silently made his way to the peak, slaying its king and leaving with just as little fanfare as the first occasion. He had put the letters away after this. It was clear the Hylian would return upon the following Blood Moon- Sidon had only to wait.

By the time he reached the Courtyard, his quarry was already gone, but Kodah was pointing frantically the way he went toward the mountain, leaning over the second floor railing in front of the Inn. Sidon waved gratefully at her and continued his pursuit.

What would he say to him? Why was he doing this? Did he feel he still owed the Zora something? Did he want something? Had he made some kind of deal with someone? Three moons in a row, he came immediately to dispatch the Lynel. Why?

He was barely across the bridge when the Hylian finally came into sight.

"Link!" Sidon called, out of breath from the pursuit. Link froze, Hylian ears pricking like a cats, before he turned, waiting for Sidon to reach him.

"Hello, my friend!" Sidon said, as cheerfully as he could as he approached, "I am so happy to have caught you. I have been waiting for you."

Link looked uncomfortable or alarmed suddenly. Perhaps he had been awkward company after all.

"You had slain the Lynel three times now, I thought it only a fair assumption the pattern may continue. I must insist on offering my services, it is unfair for you to face such a task alone."

Link shrugged, looking askance.

"Ah…" Sidon said, uncertain if maybe he had intruded terribly after all, "Well- perhaps- that is to say- if it would really inconvenience you I assure you I can take my leave, but-"

Link, again, looked somewhat alarmed, and quickly shook his head, waving his hands in front of his chest. 

"You would suffer my company, then, yes?" Sidon confirmed. Link nodded firmly, and Sidon felt a weight leave his chest in relief. "Wonderful! We must be off at once then!"

As he stepped forward on the path Link shook his head as if from a dream and did the same, quickening his pace to match Sidon's naturally faster gait. Even with a Hylians unnaturally long legs, the tiny Hylian barely came up to Sidon's waist. 

"I must ask though, as I have been plagued by curiousity- why have you been doing this?" Sidon asked. Link shifted uncomfortably again beneath his gaze, shrugging. "I was disappointed you chose not to come speak with me. I would have liked to have heard from you," he hazarded bravely.

Link grimaced, looking down unhappily. Sidon trotted beside him up the mountain path, giving him a moment, but Link just shrugged, avoiding eye contact.

"Did someone ask you to?" He queried.

Link shook his head.

"Are you hunting it for materials?"

Link shook his head.

"Shock arrows?"

Link shook his head.

"Then why?" Sidon felt himself grow somewhat frustrated, "and why won't you just talk to me?"

Link grimaced, his shoulders hitching. He stopped walking, hands fidgeting at his sides and kneading the Hem of his tunic anxiously.

"What?" Sidon asked.

Link crinkled his nose, expression frustrated, before he raised both hands to his chest. His eyes were on his fingers and he moved slowly and awkwardly through Hylian Sign, right hand clenched in a loose fist as he made a circle around his heart, tapped his chin with four fingers and then paused as if he had to remember the next motion, before taking his flat fingertips to his lips and then downward.

'Sorry, talk bad.'

Sidon felt like every white scale on his body had just turned crimson and made him one solid colour in an instant. 

"Oh, Hylia," he swore, unbecomingly, "You don't speak."

Link shifted, casting his downward miserably and shook his head. 

"I am so sorry," Sidon stammered, mortified, "I meant no offense, I didn't- I didn't realize."

Link shrugged again, eyes still downcast. His hands stayed firmly at his side. His gestures had been jerky and unpracticed, and Sidon wondered if this was a recent development. 

"I do, ah, speak Hylian Sign, if you wanted to-" he said, awkwardly, "I speak a few other languages as well, if it would help."

Link fidgeted, appearing frustrated, before he raised his right hand to his face again. 'Talk bad.'

"Oh," Sidon said, the words sinking in, "You don't sign well, do you?"

Link shook his head.

"Ah. I'm sorry."

After a moment, Link shrugged, stepping forward and resuming the walk along the path. The moonlight cast deep shadows in his face, and Sidon could not read his expression.

Sidon stood, pathetically, for a moment, wondering if he should just turn around and leave, but the feeling passed quickly. He was never one to run from a battle.

Sidon caught up with the tiny warrior quickly. "I apologize for my mistake, Link. I assure you there's nothing to be embarrassed of- I only misunderstood your intentions, and wondered if perhaps I had offended you- only, in so pursuing an answer, I've offended you now." 

Link shrugged again, but didn't otherwise move to dismiss him.

"I assure you, I'm quite good at charades."

Link looked up at him, frowning. 

"Ah, tasteless, perhaps?" 

Link rolled his eyes, before his ears swiveled forward suddenly and his head shot up. Sidon hadn't even registered the sound of the bowstring, but by the time he had followed Link's gaze to the Lynel, Link had  _ shoved _ into him with the force of a five and a half foot tall Lynel himself, knocking the startled prince out of the way just in time for the Lynel's shock arrow to bury itself between Link's spine and his shoulder blade. 

They had walked all the way to the peak without even realizing. 

It had only just occurred to Sidon with the previous conversations revelation that he had never heard Link make a sound before, but the bone chilling scream of agony that tore out of his thrashing body as the shock arrow released it's energy into him quickly ended that. Sidon was not sure he had ever been hurt by a sound before, but Link's shriek pierced him through his core, and he felt it like a cold dagger in his gut.

And just like that, the screaming ended. Link spun round, his left arm hanging limply at his side, arrow jutting out of his back like a pin. He fumbled to draw his weapon with his right, darting off in the direction of the Lynel for close combat as Sidon scrambled for cover, chest heaving. 

How had they stumbled into this situation so unawares? How could he possibly have allowed himself to become so distracted? And now what did he do? He hadn't planned nearly this far ahead-

He leaned around the rock, watching Link roll quickly out of the way of a blow from the Lynel's ghastly hooves, left arm still hanging, useless, as he attempted to jab at the beast's legs with his right. Even off handed, Link was no poor swordsman- Sidon felt his breath catch as he watched him move, almost like some kind of feral dance, sharp, unpredictable, and yet fluid, a puzzle box of moving parts that never stopped to breath. Well, other than his arm.

Sidon was hardly going to let him fight alone. 

He took took sharp breaths before he grabbed his sword and launched from behind his cover. As long as he kept close quarters with the beast, it would never draw its bow- but that would mean keeping close quarters with a Lynel. 

It appeared so distracted by his companion that Sidon had no difficulty thrusting his blade into it's flank, only to have it rear up with a fierce roar, kicking wildly. Sidon tried to tug it back out, but found it buried too deep. The Lynel kicked backwards, and a hoof to his gut sent him to the ground. 

When he managed to regain his blurred vision in a daze, he saw the Lynel bucking wildly, trying to reach the sword in it's hip. Something was touching him, but it wasn't the Lynel, which was some distance away.

"Link?" He asked, blearily, as his vision focused. The Hylian was half kneeled beside him, waving a red bottle in his face. He blinked at it, before link moved to shoving it into his hand, before he understand. 

"Ah!" He cried, as his mind cleared. He quickly rolled over and chugged the health potion, feeling better immediately. He looked back at Link, who was pointing frantically at the arrow in his back with his functioning limb.

"What?!" Sidon asked, looking between Link's franctic pointing and the shaft, "What are you trying to tell me?!"

Link looked immensely frustrated, before he shook his head wildly, scrunching his eyes shut. He opened them, and carefully made a gesture, as if he were pulling a little string upward. It took Sidon a moment to register the messily delivered sign in it's one hand modified form.

"Are- are you sure?!" He sputtered, and Link nodded firmly. The Lynel roared as it ripped the sword from it's flank, throwing it to the side like a twig.

Sidon grabbed the arrow and pulled.

The second noise of two he had heard from Link, though this was far more muted. A barely contained grunt of pain, before he grabbed the remaining health potion from Sidon and chugged, as the Lynel turned and charged, it's hooves churning the soil like water.

And then Link shot a  _ laser _ at it.

Perhaps seeing a sword shoot a laser was but one strange event in a series of strange events on a very strange day, but it was still strange enough to startle the Zora Prince nearly out of his aigrette. The Lynel stumbled against the blast, and in the time it took to recover, Link was on its back, and his sword was, too.

The Lynel burst into a cloud of purple and black mist, and Link landed on the ground with a thump, panting. 

As the sound of blood roaring in his ears faded away, the gentle sounds of nature and the mountain returned. Distant waterfalls, birdsong, a breeze in the grass. The wilds were peaceful once more.

"Well," said Sidon, after a moment, "That could have gone better." 

Link's shoulder moved in a way that suggested laughter, even if it was silent. Sidon much preferred his mute amusement to that terrible scream. 

Link pushed himself to his feet, wobbling, before giving Sidon a hand himself, which was amusing, since Sidon was twice his height.

Sidon went to retrieve his sword, while the Champion tasked himself with accumulating the Lynel's abandoned weapons. The sun was still not yet up over the horizon. The stars sparkled down on him, offering encouragement.

"Are you alright?" Asked Sidon, as he trotted over to the Hylian. Link looked up, and made a wobbly-handed "more-or-less" gesture. "As much as I loathe to imagine, I presume this is hardly the worst you've suffered at the claws of Ganon's beasts, is it?"

Link shook his head, twirling a shock arrow as he dropped it into his quiver. Sidon sat down beside him. 

"Have you always- not spoken, I mean?" Sidon inquired curiously. 

Link shrugged, sitting back and folding his legs as he tapped something on his little slate, and the weapons turned white and vanished. Sidon wondered how he did that.

"If you don't speak, and don't sign- isn't there anyone you talk to? Somehow?" 

Link's eyes softened, and he looked down at the ground for a moment, before he shook his head, eyes cast away. 

"That sounds very lonely."

Link shrugged. 

Sidon frowned. He thought of the letter he had written and then abandoned in his desk weeks ago. "Ah! Do you write, then?"

Link looked up, finally looking a little less painfully ashamed, and nodded.

"Well, thats it, then, isn't it! We will just have to return to the domain and acquire some parchment, and then we can have a proper conversation. That is- well, it would be- if you wanted to, of course." 

Link's Hylian ears swiveled upward, and finally, at last, maybe even for the first time, he smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> Despite how frequently I write nonverbal/signing characters, I'm not nonverbal myself and I haven't signed in years and I was never particularly good, so I can't say I know what the perspective of a person would be like if they were nonverbal and didn't sign, but I did used to live in china and didn't speak Chinese, didn't have English speaking friends. How lonely it felt, constantly, to be surrounded by people and unable to communicate with them, and whenever I tried all I could manage was ugly sentences with a bad accent, random words that barely fit together to say what I wanted. I felt so ashamed to speak, so I didn't. That was really my inspiration this time, that feeling I had.


End file.
